In the construction industry, it is always important, and it is usually a requirement, to protect construction workers against falling from the structures they are constructing. Such “fall protection” is typically provided by equipping workers with harnesses attached by cables called “lanyards” to anchor points on the structure. The lanyard is attached to the harness and anchor point at respective ends by attachment hardware called “caribiners.” The caribiners may be provided as permanently installed parts of the lanyard, or the lanyard may be adapted to receive caribiners that are removable from the lanyard. Hereinafter, the term “lanyard” shall be used to refer to a lanyard having caribiners either permanently or removably installed.
The need for fall protection in the case of high-rise structures is obvious, and a characteristic of such structures is the use of I-beams as structural members. Accordingly, a class of anchoring devices known as “beam anchors” has been provided specifically for utilizing I-beams as anchor points.
FIG. 1 shows a typical prior art beam anchor 1. The beam anchor 1 has an elongate cross-bar 2 having an elongate axis “L,” and a pair of I-beam capturing members 3, 4 at opposite ends of the cross-bar. The capturing members 3, 4 attach the cross-bar to an I-beam as discussed below in connection with FIG. 2.
A coupler 5 has a circular aperture “A” through which the hook of a lanyard can be attached.
FIG. 2 shows the beam anchor 1 attached to an I-beam. The I-beam has a center section 6 whose primary function is to support two spaced-apart flanges 7, 8 which carry the bulk of the bending load. The beam anchor rides on one of the flanges, here the flange 7, in and out of (i.e., perpendicular to) the plane of the Figure. More particularly, over-hanging capturing portions 3a, 4a of the capturing members 3, 4 slide on the upper surface 7a of the flange 7.
The capturing members 3, 4 are spaced far enough apart to define respective gaps “g” between the capturing members and respective edges 9 (specifically shown as 9a, 9b) of the flange. These gaps allow the beam anchor to slide as just described without interfering with the edges 9. By riding the flange in this manner, the beam anchor can follow the worker as the worker moves along the I-beam.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show an end portion of a prior art beam anchor 10 that is marketed as the DBI-SALA Glyder 2 Sliding Beam. Anchor, by DB Industries, Inc. of Redwing Minn. The view corresponds to the left end of the beam anchor 1 shown in FIG. 1, both ends being identical. The beam anchor 10 has an elongate cross-bar 12 having an elongate axis “L,” and two opposed substantially identical capturing members 14 (only one being shown), the position of each being adjustable along the length of the cross-bar. Each capturing member includes a generally C-shaped capturing portion 14a. 
To allow the aforementioned position adjustment, a locking mechanism 16 is provided with each capturing member that is adapted to releasably engage grooves 18 defined in the cross-bar. Particularly, the locking mechanism 16 is pivotally attached to the capturing member 14 so that it can pivot about an axis “P.” The axis P defines a lever portion 16a of the locking mechanism extending above the axis P, and a tongue portion 16b of the locking mechanism extending below the axis P.
The tongue portion 16b of the locking mechanism 16 is adapted to engage with a selected one of the grooves 18, and the locking mechanism includes a spring 30 (not visible in FIG. 3) for biasing the locking mechanism in any such engaged position, for retaining the capturing member 14 in a locked configuration of the locking mechanism. The locked configuration is shown in FIG. 4.
Returning to FIG. 3, a user manually pressing on the lever portion 16a at the location and in the direction indicated by the open arrow against the bias provided by the spring rocks the locking mechanism about the axis P. This raises the tongue portion 16b relative to the groove 18 in which it was previously engaged, to disengage the locking mechanism therefrom and define an unlocked configuration of the locking mechanism.
When the locking mechanism is in its unlocked configuration, the capturing member 14 may be manipulated by sliding it axially along the cross-bar 12, to re-position the capturing member for subsequent locking at a new axial position such as that indicated in FIG. 4.
The locking mechanism 16 is pivotally supported between two webs “W1” and “W2,” which is the standard practice in the art. This is believed to be for the purpose of guarding the locking mechanism from becoming inadvertently unlocked as a result of coming into contact with the lanyard. However, this guarding makes the locking mechanism 16 less convenient to operate.
The beam anchor 10 has a coupler 15 corresponding to the coupler 5 in the embodiment of FIG. 1. The coupler 5 as shown is able to slide longitudinally on the cross-bar 2. However, the coupler 15 is, as is generally preferred, anchored at a central location on the cross-bar. Typically for this purpose, a pin or screw is installed in the cross-bar, the pin or screw having a projecting head 17. The coupler 15 has a corresponding slot 19 to receive the head 17, which constrains the coupler 15 so that it cannot slide from side to side, while allowing the coupler to rotate axially about the cross-bar, i.e., about its elongate axis “L.”
Beam anchors must provide rigorously dependable structural support to function as fall protection, and it is an objective of the present invention to provide for improvements to beam anchors like the beam anchor 10 that allow them to be both stronger and less bulky.